


A Belated Birthday Gift

by whatthe4355



Category: Code Lyoko
Genre: Code Lyoko - Freeform, Gen, Odd is Bad at computers, Time to Cry, Trans Female Character, Trans! Aelita, Transhumanism, closeted lesbian yumi, cyberspace, deadnames, franz hopper good dad, good dads, legacy, overdue birthday gift, supportive ace jeremie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:53:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26759770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatthe4355/pseuds/whatthe4355
Summary: This is a slight rework of the first time Aelita gets devirtualized to the real world. Franz Hopper leaves a little memento to remind Aelita that he's always there for her, even if he can't be. This Might make you cry.
Kudos: 14





	A Belated Birthday Gift

Finally, a free Saturday.

_All was set for Aelita to be virtualized, including a note to Yumi's Parents telling them an exchange student would be staying with Yumi, from Canada. Jeremy had coded together a time-delayed program that would put insert a transfer student request, made up to look like it was put in over a month ago. Odd really wanted to help out, since he was good at conventional counterfeiting but the last time he Touched one of Jeremy's computers it quite literally set itself on fire. Neither Jeremy nor odd will divulge any more detail on this. There was nothing left to do but bring her back into the real world as if that would be easy._

_There was one thing that none of the Lyoko Warriors thought about as they made their way to the factory on a brisk autumn day: Aelita was afraid to do this. She was about as nervous and terrified that Jeremy had ever seen her, although that was hard to tell on the small and poorly contrasted screen of the supercomputer interface._

"What's the issue Aelita? We've been planning this for months, aren't you ready?" Jeremy said calmly into his headset

"Its just, um, hm, ah. Jeremy, what would you think if I didn't look like my Lyoko avatar?" Aelita said, tinnily through the speakers of the interface.

"Hahaha, of course, you won't look like your avatar, no one else looks like their avatars in the real world," Jeremy said cheerily, unaware of the issue

"Yeah Aelita, it's not gonna that much of a change! There's nothing to worry about!" blurted Odd, the stupid stupid little catboy that he is

_Aelita sighed and fell to her knees, feeling nothing again. No pain, no physical sensations just..... nothing. For ten years she had been getting by like this, with the lack of sensations masking the pain she had. The out of body feeling just got worse over the time she had been in Lyoko. Sure at the beginning, it was a total weight off her back but now? to have that feeling come back all at once? she couldn't stand the idea._

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Jeremy," Aelita said about as defiantly as you could sound over shitty speakers that stripped words from emotion.

"Okay okay Aelita, jeez, sorry. Is everyone ready to be virtualized?" Jeremy said, trying to bandage the situation.

"You can go ahead Jeremy, I'm ready," said Yumi, keeping quiet to help her nerves.

"Same here Jeremy," said Ulrich.

"Come on and hurry up Genius!" demanded Odd

_There was a pause, lasting about a minute. Suddenly, Jeremy laughed.'_

"Odd, you're not going to Lyoko, we need a spare virtualization chamber for Aelita, remember?"

"Ooh, darn it," said a frustrated Odd

"Next time Odd, Virtualization Ulrich! Virtualization Yumi!" blurted Jeremy, mashing the enter key

_they appeared in wireframe at first, their skins reverse peeling on to the frames shortly. it always creeped Aelita to look at the process and made her out of body feelings worse than ever. Especially since she had to go through the reverse of it. She shuddered at the thought, at least, if she could. The movement of the avatars wasn't the best. It could do major things like action and typing but little gestures didn't work. Even smiling was hard, having to relearn how to do it the "Lyoko" way. Would she have to relearn how to smile in real life again? She pushed the thought aside scared by its consequences._

"How's Lyoko today Ulrich?" asked Jeremy

"Good, clear skies as usual. Hopefully, we don't see Xana's monsters anytime soon. Wanna find the nearest tower Jeremy?" responding Ulrich, eager to get this over with. He had a Test and an Essay to work on after this.

"Already on it Ulrich. hmm, ah! Desert sector, a kilometer away. No Problem, just a little walk" said Jeremy

_A little walk. How long had it been since Aelita felt the feeling of walking? Her Thoughts kept troubling her as she walked. Would she have to go by her old name? She could barely remember what it was. The thought of being called a boy made her want to cry. It always did. Her thoughts turned dark and gloomy, as they had been before entering Lyoko. Looking at a mirror and seeing someone else looking back. Hiding mister puck since it made her feel like a boy to have a boy plush. Was this form of hers just a puppet-like mister puck? a thing she manipulated behind a curtain, whist her grotesque true form moved carefully and planned. every step a potential pitfall of hideous hideous feelings that hurt like walking on spikes. just when Aelita couldn't handle anymore of it, she tripped.  
_

"Aelita! Are you okay?" Yumi said concerned, helping her up

Aelita literally tripped, so lost in intrusive thoughts that she tripped over a stone.

"I-I think so. Let's just get to the tower before Xana figures out what we are doing." Aelita hastily said, eager to dismiss the storm in her head.

The three were close, only about 10ish meters to the tower, when she had tripped. not that much farther Aelita told herself.

"Alright Aelita, I'm downloading the program to the tower but you have to- " Jeremy stopped

"what's wrong Jeremy?" Aelita more worried than ever now.

"there's....another "Aelita Virtualization Program", dated much older than mine! it just popped up next to mine - h-hang-on there's a README. WHOA!" Jeremy rambled

"Spit it out, Jeremy!" Ulrich said, frustrated and sleep-deprived

"It's from Franz Hopper! Uh, I'm Just gonna print this, it is Clearly a letter addressed to you Aelita! Anyway, who thinks we should use Hopper's Virtualization program? anyone?" Jeremy posed the question

Aelita was baffled. Her Father did this for her? wasn't he gone? so many thoughts raced in her head when she heard an annoying voice over the intercom

"Let's do it! let's see what happens!" said Odd, ever the curious cat. how he hadn't died from hubris Aelita never knew.

"I'm with odd, it seems that Hopper intended this as a gift for Aelita." chipped in Yumi

"Well, Aelita? What do you think?" asked Jeremy, hoping the answer was yes. he loved hopper's work, like the nerd he is.

"uh. uh sure..." said Aelita, just wanting to get this over with

"We don't have to Aelita, we still have my version" encouraged Jeremy

"no-no, it's alright. let's go with my Father's version" Aelita surrendered. there was so much anxiety in her head that she was completely overwhelmed and exhausted.

Aelita entered the tower, rising up to the platform. She entered the code for the program: "Dreamland." How odd. why was the code that? she barely had time to question it before Jeremy started the devirtualization process.

"Alright! Devirtualization - "(pause for effect)" " **AELITA"** Jeremy narrated as he rapidly entered commands and typed.

_It was really happening, finally happening. Aelita watched as the pixel thin skin peeled up off her feet, then her hands, traveling slowly up her body till she didn't see anything. Suddenly, she saw something weird. a different kind of darkness, not the computer nothing but the real darkness, the lack of light. The door to the Virtualization chamber slid open and Aelita was momentarily blinded and blinked. adjusting to the light she noticed she could blink! She could smile! she could feel the dryness of her mouth and the faint metallic taste of...blood?? Aelita guessed that was a side effect of virtualization. she looked around and noticed a small table set up in the virtualization room, with an extremely fresh print out, with the tractor feeds still on it. there was also a dessert, a cake if she remembered right. Strawberries lined the top of it, her favorite._

Aelita read the note, skipping past the instructions for the program down to the notes:

[My Dear Child, Aelita, if you are reading this, it means my program worked. You are no longer not only human again, but the self you dreamed about, even before our hasty retreat into Lyoko. I didn't have the time to get you a birthday present before we entered Lyoko, so I figured this was a good substitute. I'm sorry I can't be there to give you the love and support you need right now, but I feel you might have that already. I love you my daughter, and your mother would be proud to see the young woman you've become. I'm proud of you, and I love you no matter what happens to me. I hope to see you soon Aelita, happy birthday from your Dad]

_there were some post notes at the end about him learning how to sew just to "transition Puck's Gender to one that suits you Aelita" whatever that meant, but that didn't matter to Aelita. She was home in every sense of the word, at peace with the body she deserved. she was full-on sobbing as Ulrich and Yumi devirtualised and sat down next to her. Yumi wrapped an arm around Aelita and silently read the letter to herself. She didn't quite understand what hopper meant, but clearly Aelita did. Yumi was happy for Aelita and happy to be a shoulder to cry on. Dang, Aelita's cute, Yumi silently thought to herself. Odd and Jeremy had come down in the elevator at this point, Odd holding a bunch of paper plates and forks. Jeremy had the knife, as Odd couldn't be trusted with one. They sat down, forming a little circle around the table, letting Aelita have the Time To Cry[{Subdigitals: Time To Cry}](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_hMKnCx_UA). Odd set down what he was carrying and read the letter, passing it to Ulrich and then Jeremy, for safekeeping._

Aelita was a very very happy birthday girl. She had a lot to catch up on.


End file.
